STRAIGHT-talking countryman Robin Page is being lined up to open a new rural event in North Wales aimed at urban consumers.

And with trademark candour the former presenter of One Man and His Dog took a swipe at the city-based majority who harbour “Disney-fied” attitudes towards farming, food and the countryside.

Mr Page, 67, a conservationist and political activist, will be one of the “high profile” guests at the new Denbigh & Flint Countryside Day, being held at Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, Holywell, on May 22.

Mr Page believes such events, which mix entertainment with education, can only be helpful. But he said: “On a superficial level it may be true that more people are taking an interest in where their food comes from.

“But I don’t think many people really understand the countryside, or want to.

“TV shows like Countryfile take a rose-tinted approach, portraying the countryside as one big leisure area, while cookery shows fail to show the link with food production as they ought to.

“As a result many people still see the countryside as a place for rambling and picnics. They fail to appreciate that 80% of the British countryside is given over to farming, and that wildlife is just as important on farmland as it is off it.

“So any event that helps people understand the links between food, farming and wildlife, and that combats the Disney syndrome, has to be a good thing.”

Unlike traditional farm shows, where the emphasis is on competitions, the Countryside Day will focus on education – showing consumers how food and other goods are produced.

Prices have been kept low to attract families, and the location was chosen not just for its facilities but also because it is close to an urban catchment.

Initial rental costs are being covered by the Countryside Alliance (CA) Foundation, a charity set up to educate the public about the countryside.

Barry Henderson, former CA North Wales regional director who now works for the foundation, got a willing reception when pitching the idea to DFAS chairman Tom Stephenson and secretary Liz Turner.

He said: “They were very encouraging, and it was Liz who came up with the idea to approach Greenfield.

“We decided to hold it on a Sunday on the basis that most working people would be unable to attend the traditional Denbigh & Flint Show, which is held on a Thursday.

“We haven’t yet finalised the line-up, but a lot of people have shown interest.”

A key aim of the new event is to explain the processes behind the manufacture of familiar items that farmers often take for granted – but are a mystery to others.

Shearers will be shown working alongside spinners and weavers, while the process of milking cows will be linked to end products such as yoghurt.

There will also be experts on hand to advise on everything from beekeeping to grow-your-own vegetables.

Local food producers will discuss their own production methods and, to provide spectacle, the event will host the likes of gundogs and water buffalo. Demonstrations will range from stone walling and hedgelaying to ferreting and hawking.

THE D&F Countryside Day is on May 22, 10am-4.30pm. Tickets cost £5 for adults and £2 for U16s, OAPs and the disabled. Family tickets (two adults, two U16s) cost £10. Show office: 01352 712131.